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Woman who filmed alleged animal abuse charged

GREELEY — A woman who secretly filmed a video showing calves being dragged, kicked and thrown at a northeastern Colorado cattle company in an attempt to expose animal abuse has been charged with animal cruelty herself.

Taylor Radig was charged with the misdemeanor after Weld County Sheriff’s Office investigators interviewed her Wednesday and watched videos she took between July and September while she was a temporary employee at Quanah Cattle Co. near Kersey, about 55 miles northeast of Denver.

The video released Nov. 12 by the animal rights organization Compassion Over Killing — two months after Radig’s employment ended with the cattle company — showed calves being dragged by their ears and legs, lifted by their tails, kicked and thrown. It led to animal abuse citations for three men, identified as Larry Loma, 32, Tomas Cerda, 33, and Ernesto Daniel Valenzuela-Alvarez, 34.

The sheriff’s office said the failure by Radig to report the alleged abuse in a timely manner substantiates the animal cruelty charge against her. But Erica Meier, executive director of the animal rights group, told The Greeley Tribune that Radig merely witnessed others committing abuse.

“This shoot-the-messenger strategy is aimed at detracting attention away from the crimes of those who actually abused animals,” Meier said.